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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: coach · deal · trunk · bore · game · wound · tear · lash

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. wound — an injury
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bore — to tire
  13. bore — to drill
  14. tear — from crying
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. game — wild animals
  17. wound — an injury
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. tear — to rip
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. tear — from crying
  22. game — a match
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. deal — to handle

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com